A Song For St. Cecilia's Day

1

From harmony,[1] from heavenly harmony This universal frame[2] began. When Nature underneath a heap Of jarring atoms lay, And could not heave her head, 5 The tuneful voice was heard from high: "Arise, ye more than dead!" Then cold and hot and moist and dry In order to their stations leap, And Music's power obey. 10 From harmony, from heavenly harmony This universal frame began; From harmony to harmony Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in Man.[3] 15

2

What passion cannot Music raise and quell? When Jubal[4] struck the corded shell,[5] His list'ning brethren stood around, And, wond'ring, on their faces fell To worship that celestial sound, 20 Less than a god they thought there could not dwell Within the hollow of that shell That spoke so sweetly and so well. What passion cannot Music raise and quell?

3

The trumpet's loud clangor 25 Excites us to arms, With shrill notes of anger And mortal alarms.[6] The double double double beat Of the thundering drum 30 Cries, "Hark, the foes come! Charge, charge, 't is too late to retreat!"

4

The soft complaining flute In dying notes discovers[7] The woes of hopeless lovers, 35 Whose dirge is whispered by the warbling lute.

But oh! what art can teach, What human voice can reach The sacred organ's praise? Notes inspiring holy love, 45 Notes that wing their heavenly ways To mend[8] the choirs above.

7

Orpheus[9] could lead the savage race, And trees unrooted left their place, Sequacious of the lyre; 50 But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher: When to her organ vocal breath was given, An angel heard, and straight[10] appeared-- Mistaking earth for heaven.

GRAND CHORUS

As from the power of sacred lays 55 The spheres began to move, And sung the great Creator's praise To all the blest above: So, when the last and dreadful hour[11] This crumbling pageant shall devour, 60 The trumpet shall be heard on high, The dead shall live, the living die, And Music shall untune the sky.

NOTE.--Dryden wrote this song in 1687 for the festival of St. Cecilia,the patron saint of music. To be appreciated it must be read aloud,for it is full of musical effects, especially stanzas 3-6. St. Ceciliahas been represented by Raphael and other artists as playing upon someinstrument, surrounded by listening angels.

[1.] From harmony, etc. Some of the ancients believed that musichelped in the creation of the heavenly bodies, and that their motionswere accompanied by a harmony known as "the music of the spheres."

[2.] This universal frame, the visible universe.

[3.] The diapason, etc. The diapason means here the entire compassof tones. The idea is that in man, the highest of God's creatures,are included all the virtues and powers of the lower creation.

[4.] Jubal. It is said of Jubal: "He was the father of all such ashandle the harp and organ."--Genesis iv, 21.

[5.] The corded shell, i.e. the lyre. The first lyre was supposed tohave been formed by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

[6.] Mortal alarms, i.e. notes that rouse men to deadly conflict.

[7.] Discovers, reveals.

[8.] Mend, amend, improve.

[9.] Orpheus is said to have been a Thracian poet who moved rocks andtrees and tamed wild beasts by playing upon his lyre.